Fhgoedblnr
I did not think I had a particular interest in glamour until I read The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion, by Virginia Postrel. As it turns out, I have a strong interest in glamour (at least certain types of it) and this book offers a fascinating and cogent analysis of what glamour is and why it is important. I was drawn to the book by my long interest in Virginia's work, dating back to the 1990s when she edited Reason magazine and I wrote some articles for it. (My involvement and post-Postrel break with the magazine are recounted here my blog for this and other links.) A decade ago, I reviewed her book The Substance of Style, which espoused a growing linkage of aesthetics and economics. (Subsequently, after marrying an architectural lighting designer, I gained some exposure to a field that exemplifies that connection.) In her new book, Postrel distinguishes glamour from concepts with which it may blur, such as luxury, celebrity or charisma. She defines glamour as "nonverbal rhetoric" (typically conveyed by visual images) that "leads us to feel that the life we dream of exists, and to desire it even more." Glamour has, in her telling, three essential elements: "a promise of escape and transformation" (letting people project themselves into a desired situation); "grace" (hiding or removing flaws and distractions); and "mystery" (leaving some things to the audience's imagination). The Power of Glamour ranges widely across examples of its subject. Glamour can attach to a variety of people, places and objects--as diverse as people's desires. Postrel examines various archetypes or "icons" of glamour, including aviators, princesses, superheroes, suntans, smoking, wind turbines, California and Shanghai. As this list suggests, things can become more or less glamorous over time; for instance, smoking and California have both seen more glamorous days (and nights). Glamour has long been part of human experience, evident in Greek myths and Renaissance paintings (Postrel cites Lippi's Vision of Saint Bernard as glamorous in encouraging the audience to project itself into a scene with the Virgin Mary). Yet glamour grew in importance in the 19th and 20th centuries, she argues persuasively, since it thrives on mass audiences and a sense of social mobility. This book is to a degree a defense of glamour but it is no whitewashing of its complex subject. Often dismissed as superficial or decried as an advertising snare, glamour can spur positive change. Besides being pleasurable, glamour can inspire people to strive for a better life and world. But there is no guarantee it will be put to good uses, and in an extreme case to the contrary terrorists attract their recruits with an idealized promise of escape and transformation--in short, glamour. Discussing mystery as an element of glamour, Postrel offers three subcategories of that element (not mutually exclusive), which she labels "shadow," "sparkle" and "complexity." Hats, veils and Paris in the rain have the mystery of things obscured (shadow); glittering jewels and fabrics fascinate and confuse with change and ambiguity (sparkle). The third type of mystery--complexity--Postrel describes thus: >> This form of mystery hides information not through concealment or confusion but through complexity and depth. We don't know what history or nature will produce; there are too many variables and too much detail to comprehend in a glance. Hence the mystery of rugged coastlines, verdigris patina, and twisting woodland paths. As a design element, such mystery appears in Alexander McQueen's 2009 Plato's Atlantis collection, with its phosphorescent sequins, opalescent beads, and jellyfish and reptile-skin prints. This is the mystery of the layered, the fluid, and the fractal: the mystery of complexity. << Me: The above passage is what I particularly had in mind at the start of this review when I wrote "As it turns out, I have a strong interest in glamour (at least certain types of it)...." Reading Virginia's passage above crystallized for me what is a significant aspect of what I like to write and read about, what sorts of art and design I tend to enjoy, and where I like to hike. I am an aficionado of the "mystery of complexity" and the glamour that stems from it. Until I read this book, I did not realize that about myself. Tyler Cowen recently opined that The Power of Glamour is its author's "best and most compelling book" to date. I agree, and highly recommend it. -- f you've ever wondered why you're deeply affected by certain images or photographs, by political candidates or ideas, by technology and works of art, this book is a must read. With prose as evocative and clean as a glass house overlooking a distant cityscape at night, and with illustrations as interesting as they are expressive, Virginia Postrel uncovers the elemental aspects of human longing and reveals how human desire has been reflected throughout history in glamorous objects, scenes, and people. In so doing, she gives the lie to the widely held idea that glamour is shallow and trivial, demonstrating that it is, instead, quite deep. -- irginia Postrel defines "glamour" as a form of visual persuasion that we "know to be false, but feel to be true." She shows us what it looks like when people use glamour to sell to other people--and to sell themselves on a particular course of action. This book will be extremely useful to marketers, but it will be just as helpful for people who want a way to sketch out their own life goals, keeping themselves pointed toward a real oasis . . . even if they must do it by mapping a course to a useful mirage. (Disclosure: I got a chance to read this book early, since a few last-minute changes to such things as picture placement led to a decision that one more "pair of eyes" would be useful--and I ended up assisting with the final proofreading.) -- his is an incredibly insightful book - filled with a new way to correctly perceive visual imagery. I'm 62 with a lifelong interest in art, photography, psychology, sociology, advertising, marketing & the history of pop culture. This book brought me new and deeper meaning to each other those subjects. When I first saw this book on my local library's New Book Shelf - I wrongly assumed this was a 'Chick Book' about fashion or clothing or whatever. But, when I read the subtitle ('The Art of Visual Persuasion') I began to see it was exactly up-my-alley of interests. If you're a guy, please don't make the huge mistake of bypassing this book due to your preconceived idea of glamour being a 'woman's thing' - cuz this book will blast that definition out of the water forever. As well it should. Especially when it examines the glamour of war and battle and gun love, the Marlboro Man, fast cars, James Bond & superheroes, etc. This book provides a modern filter on how to correctly perceive almost every Visual we see in this media age. Even as I was watching a rerun of the movie 'Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid' this morning... I realized the glamour aspects it portrayed about the Wild West and the freedoms associated with being an outlaw. I not exaggerating when I say this book will change your perceptions on most everything you see, after you finish your reading. This book should be mandatory reading for students of advertising and communications. Art. Psychology. Technology. History. Sociology. Even the fields of religion and Positive Thinking and visualization. Most everything really! And I'm not stretching the truth one bit when I say that. This is a one-in-a-thousand book that will beneficial alter your perception of every glamourized object or concept. Most of which you haven't consciously realized as being glamorous, because glamour strikes on a largely subconscious level. That's what this book helped me realize. It re-defines the word (and concept of) glamour. Example: the author writes): Glamour: "encourages viewers to project themselves into the picture". - "what creates our desire?... fosters ambition... Non-Verbal Persuasion that taps into our dreams and yearnings... transforms empires... worlds of glamour in which we are beautiful, admired, graceful, accomplished, desired, powerful, wealthy and at ease... a life devoid of mediocrity.. makes our dreams seem attainable.. makes us believe life can sparkle... we imagine ourselves in their place...transformed and living a life of excitement... an escape to an eternal summer... into the scene in which we own our desires". The lady who wrote this book deserves a medal (in Perceptive Social Analysis or something). She has me notetaking from each page and reading this book all over again, so as to absorb it thoroughly. Plus, I'm just now ordering another of her books called 'The Substance of Style'. I'm kicking myself for not knowing about her earlier works - but thankful I was magically drawn to this book by the Library Angels. By the way. I've only written about 5 Amazon Reviews in the last 12 years and can't write worth a darn. But, this fascinating book pulled this unusual review out of me. After you read it you'll definitely want to talk about it with others & recommend it highly. And guys (photogs, artists, ad writers, marketers, bachelors or whatever). Do not make the mistake of thinking this is a female subject. Glamour is what makes us ALL tick. Let this book describe how to recognize and use it best -- really enjoyed Virginia Postrel's The Power of Glamour and I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand what glamour is, its history and how it impacts us both individually and culturally. The book is very well written and contains many images and examples to illustrate the ideas explored throughout the book. The author begins with "the magic of glamour" to set the context. She describes glamour as a form of rhetoric that involves an interaction between an object and the audience. She then builds out her definition of glamour over the next several chapters. There are 3 recurring elements in her analysis of Glamour: The Promise of Escape and Transformation, Grace, and Mystery (leaving something to the imagination). Each of these chapters is full of interesting information and analysis. For the purpose of this review, I would like to note a few key things she points out in regard to Grace. Grace gives us the impression of something being effortless even though in reality there is a tremendous amount of hard work that we don't see and which is needed for that grace to be developed (think of all the practice Michael Jordan needed to do to become so graceful on the basketball court, that Astaire and Rogers needed to do to look so graceful on the dance floor). As she points out "glamour appears effortless" and this is what "makes glamour so dangerous and so alluring." Ms. Postrel also differentiates Glamour from other related concepts. I found her analysis of the difference between glamour and charisma to be very enlightening. She presents a chart with the differences between the two concepts (she also notes that objects can be glamorous but they cannot have charisma) and then notes some examples to illustrate those differences. Her example of Barack Obama as someone who has Glamour explains how this helps with getting elected but becomes a hindrance when trying to enact specific policies. She also notes those rare individuals, like Steve Jobs, who have both. She traces glamour all the way back to Achilles and she takes us through the history of glamour and explains why the concept really took off in the 20th century. One of my favorite features of the book Icon section at the end of each chapter. Each chapter has 2 icons that are explored and they illustrate a lot of the ideas in the book. I found each of these interesting but my three favorites are: The Superhero, The Gibson Girl and The Horseman. The author notes at the end of the book that: "The story of glamour is the story of human longing and its cultural manifestations. Like other forms of rhetoric and art, glamour can embody good ideas or bad ones. It can inspire life-enhancing actions or destructive ones. Its meaning and its effects depend on the audience. But one things is certain: glamour is not trivial." Ms. Postrel has given us a detailed analysis of glamour and the powerful role it plays in our lives. By understanding glamour more deeply, we can be alert to both its positive and negative effects. I highly recommend this book as a great way to better understand and appreciate "The Power of Glamour". -- This was a really fascinating book. As Virginia Postrel works through her definition of glamour--which she defines as something very similar to CS Lewis's sehnsucht or Sweet Desire, a longing for something beyond the world (“a promise of escape and transformation; grace; and mystery”)--you come to an odd realisation. Call it the only book you'll ever read which does nothing much beyond explain to you in detail why you wanted to read it. There's a lot of insight here. Postrel unerringly puts her finger on a lot of the whys behind our cultural obsessions, and correctly pinpoints eschatology as the premier example of religious glamour. More interestingly, the final chapter discusses how our longings have changed with the years. In the 1930s, she says, divorce was glamorous being a luxury only affordable by the rich and famous. In the 2010s, stable family life and kind fatherly guidance is now becoming glamorous. And that may be a comforting thought